We believe that all children have the right to food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, property and personal privacy.
Florida’s laws, policies and practices respect, prioritize and protect children and youth impacted by the child welfare, juvenile justice, and disability systems.
5-17-11 Naples Daily News Letter May 17, 2011 Naples Daily News: Keeping Kids Safe, by Christina Spudeas
May 17, 2011 Fort Myer’s News Press: Keeping Kids Safe, by Christina Spudeas
May 1, 2011 Florida’s foster kids and others are the targets of harmful legislation being debated in Tallahassee. Senate Bill 1972 — the Medicaid reform
April 29, 2011 Only two-percent of Florida foster kids graduate from college. Legislation being discussed in Tallahassee could lower the success rate even more. Right
April 11, 2011 A child advocacy group that is fighting liability limits for children in the state foster care system is taking aim at a
April 7, 2011 Opponents of a move to cap liability for the private nonprofits that oversee children’s services are breathing easier. When the Senate Committee
April 4, 2011 Florida’s privatization of child welfare services was supposed to be good for kids and taxpayers. But in the decade since the state
March 16, 2011 A measure capping legal damages for agencies providing foster care services cleared a House committee on an 11-4 vote Wednesday, despite emotional
March 16, 2011 A measure that would cap damages for pain and suffering by children in Florida’s child welfare system was approved by a House
March 14, 2011 It is apparent that significant gaps and failure in common sense, critical thinking, ownership, follow-through and timely and accurate information sharing defined
FYS Events & Meeting Chair
(Palm Beach/Miami)
Alexia Nechayev, from Miami, Florida, is a dedicated advocate for youth with lived experience in foster care and with homelessness. After being placed in foster care as a teenager, Alexia experienced firsthand the stigma surrounding the system, as well as the challenges of navigating a system that didn’t provide support for her to advocate for herself. This experience motivated her to create change, ensuring that other youth in care have the tools and resources she lacked.
She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University, and upon graduation worked as a Hope Navigator with the Department of Children and Families which allowed her to assist clients through individualized care plans, further deepening her commitment to improving the lives of marginalized youth. Alexia is now applying to law schools with the goal of advancing her advocacy work through a legal career. As the Events and Meetings Chair for Florida Youth SHINE (FYS), she creates opportunities for foster and homeless youth to collaborate and push for meaningful change. She is also an active member of the Policy and Initiative Team for Florida Youth SHINE, where she helps create and shape policies that directly impact youth in foster care. One of her proudest accomplishments is helping to develop the Foster Care Bill of Rights, a law that she feels would have made a difference during her own time in care.
In addition to her work with FYS, Alexia serves on the Board of Directors for the parent organization of FYS, Florida’s Children First. In this role, she contributes to strategic decision-making while advocating for the rights and welfare of children statewide.
Every year, she travels to the state capitol to advocate for bills she and her peers have helped shape, including key pieces of legislation that benefit foster and homeless youth. However her advocacy extends beyond her state, as she represents Florida Youth SHINE at national conferences such as the National Leaders 4 Change Conference.
Through her internship with the National Foster Youth Institute, Alexia continues to refine her advocacy skills, preparing for a future where she can contribute meaningfully to both policymaking and the legal system. Guided by the belief that “the blue sky is always there,” she remains committed to ensuring that every youth in foster care has the power and support to advocate for themselves.
